A number of Sackville residents and members of town council are concerned the risks may simply be too high to allow an exploration company to search for natural gas resources on a tract of land bordering the town.
“I’m not willing to risk it,” said Coun. Virgil Hammock following last week’s council discussion meeting, at which provincial representatives gave an overview of the regulation process for oil and natural gas exploration and development companies.
“If anything were to happen to our water supply, we would have to move Sackville. You can’t fix something like that.”
Hammock was reiterating council’s stance from last month, when councillors voted to deny Petroworth Resources Inc. exploration rights to conduct seismic testing on any town-owned land within the Sackville Basin area.
The councillors who voted against the testing cited a lack of policies regulating the onshore gas and oil development industry in the province as the reasoning behind their decision, as well as the potential environmental consequences that could result from the drilling process if gas is found.
Sam McEwan, acting deputy minister for the Land, Minerals and Petroleum Division of the Department of Natural Resources, argued, however, that there are strict standards and regulations that companies are required to follow in New Brunswick when engaged in exploration, development or production of oil or natural gas resources.
“The province is concerned that the decision may have been made without council having all the relevant information,” he said.
McEwan said the companies must adhere to standard geophysical, drilling, development and production practices, as well as meet all legislative and approval requirements – which range from obtaining approvals for a geophysical permit to a well license to a site rehabilitation plan, an environmental impact assessment and more. He also insisted that any chemicals used by the company at the site or disposed of afterwards have to be disclosed to the province.
“And all this is to ensure petroleum exploration and development proceed in an environmentally-sustainable manner,” he told council last week.
The regulation and management of oil and natural gas exploration and development in New Brunswick falls primarily under the jurisdiction of the departments of Natural Resources and Environment, with several other departments also playing a role as required.
McEwan said the intent of development is to ensure the best interest of all New Brunswickers, noting that the province and the town could potentially benefit from the economic opportunities that result from natural gas development if the testing was successful.
“This is a unique opportunity that could result in a major expansion to the province’s economic base,” he said, “and we hope you would give it due consideration.”
But some residents weren’t buying the province’s arguments, continuing to voice concerns over the possible environmental results stemming from a process known as hydraulic fracturing (or fraccing), which is used to draw out the natural gas found in shale deposits underground. The process involves drilling a horizontal well, then pumping a fluid (typically water mixed with additives) through it under high pressure to create or open fractures. The concern is that any water pumped into the well could flow back out mixed with chemicals and toxic materials, polluting the surrounding environment.
Sackville’s Vanessa Bass said she isn’t convinced there is enough protection for the municipality to allow Petroworth the rights to move ahead with their plans.
“The impression that I get here is of carpetbagging, we seem to be rushing to get whatever natural resources we can . . . and not taking the time to get it right,” she said to the provincial representatives.
McEwan pointed out, however, about 40 wells have already been drilled in New Brunswick using hydraulic fracturing so it’s not a new procedure.
Within the Sackville Basin, about 18 acres out of a 90-acre area that Petroworth has an interest in is owned by the municipality. The remaining properties are owned by individual land owners, with the majority already having made agreements with Petroworth to allow for the seismic testing.
McEwan said it will be now up to Petroworth whether it decides to move ahead with their exploration on those privately-owned properties, even without the town’s permission to conduct seismic testing on the remaining 18 acres, or wait to see if they receive the okay from the municipality.
